The ability to view high-resolution images downloaded over a network is important for numerous applications. In the medical field, such a capability is of value in the diagnosis and treatment of patients, as well as for research and physician education. Other applications that may benefit from such a capability include engineering, equipment operation and maintenance, digital maps, satellite imagery, forensics, etc. High-resolution images can be extremely large, and can exceed the ability of a computer system to store and display the images. Furthermore, transmission of entire high-resolution images across a network places significant loads on the network and can negatively impact an application's response time if the application has to wait for the image data to be delivered across the network.